1....ARGENTINA!
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If Maradona once had a direct line, this time, we really do have God on our side; even Pope Francisco is dreaming that La Pulga, Lionel Messi, will lift the World Cup for Argentina, for the 3 rd time in history. Of course, we’ll need God more than ever in the land of our old nemesis Brazil, and it may seem to outsiders that we might need a miracle. But, let me tell you, unlike the last tournament, where Argentina scraped into South Africa under the managerial chaos of Maradona, Argentina arrives in Brazil as w inners of the South American group.
The team is more settled under the captaincy of the greatest player in the world and the manager e l Pachorra Sabella, who played for Sheffield United in the 1970s and, as manager, won the Copa de Libertadores in 2009 for Estudiantes de La Plata. The team is full of Europe’s most talented stars wi th Manchester City’ Sergio El Kun Aguero, Napoli’s El Pipita Higuain, Real Madrid’s el Fideo Angel Di Maria and Paris St Germain’s La Bestia - Ezequiel Lavezzi . Our weakness is defence where the old rocks such as Javier Zanetti and el Cholo Diego Simeone, are sorely missed. As ever, the nation awaits with only the highest ex pectations. So, Pope Francisco, get praying!
The Team at La Patagonia restaurant www.lapatagonia .co.uk
2...BRAZIL!
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Brazil is the reason why the world loves football. It's not just the way Brazilians play, with outrageous skills, acrobatic energy and smiles on their faces. It's not just their pantheon of football heroes, from Pelé to Neymar, o r their trophy cabinet, creaking with five World Cups, more than any other country. But it's their fans too - more colourful, more musical, and more passionate than a nywhere else. Oh yes and there’s the small matter of team - our d efence is strong, with the midfield duo Luiz Gustavo and Paulinho, while Oscar will create space and central striker Fred will act as flank to bring the best ou t of Neymar and Hulk, who will devastate our opponents! Now the World Cup is at home, we're going to see a carnival of football and every sports fan in the world will be overjoyed when Braz il wins it. Didn’t anyone mention that God is Brazilian?
Alex Bellos, author of Futebol
3...CHILE!
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La Roja , as we Chileans call our team (the Spaniards stole the name if you didn’t know), in reference to the prominent red colour of our flag, achieved third place in 1962, and flirted with the quarter-finals on two oc casions since. Despite the small size of our country we can compet e with the very best, and our collection of big name players such as Sanchez, Vid al, Vargas and Isla who play their trade for top European teams are true world beaters . Chile plays attractive fast- paced attacking football that neutrals love to watc h and our opponents learn to fear! This year, on our own continent, there is real hope that the Chilean team could do something magical. No respectable Chilean needs an excuse to get toget her with friends for a BBQ and a few beers but when the World Cup comes around even non-football fans will be chanting along in support of La Roja : Chi- Chi- Chi- le- le- le-, viva Chile! Chileno, Chileno, Chileno de corazón".
By the www.comunidadchile.co.uk team
4...COLOMBIA!
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Despite its huge pool of talent, the last time Colo mbia played in the World Cup was 16 years ago, in France ‘98. This means that an ent ire generation of Colombians has never seen our team playing in the most important f ootball competition in the world. Now we enter the tournament in our own continent an d, according to FIFA’s ranking, as the 5th best team in the world. How, you may ask ? When you look carefully, you’ll see one of the most complete and solid sides compet ing in Brazil, with names like James Rodriguez, Jac kson Martínez (F.A. Porto), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla FC), Juan Camilo Zuñiga, Mario Yepes and Juan Cuadrado.
On top of that, we have a master tactician in Jose Pekerman. It's will not the end of the world that Falcao isn't fit. Martinez has been one of Europe’s most lethal stikers this year and Carlos Bacca, another striker, was ju st voted by Marca as this season’s best signing. Colombians believe the side has the quality to make it to the semifinals and even the final, why not? But in my opinion if we make it to the last eight we should be pleased. Vamos Colombia! It’s a dream come true to see you a gain in a World Cup.
Juan Carlos Bejarano, UK Correspondent, RCN Televis ion-NTN24
5....ECUADOR
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We Ecuadorians have to say thank you, first of all, to the Montenegran coach Dusan Draskovic who, at the dawn of the 90s, began transf orming our national team and also our sports infrastructure. When Dusan was empl oyed by the Ecuadorian Football Federation the first thing he did was visi t the major provincial capitals to observe young footballers playing in amateur tourna ments. This astonished the press.
Dusan decided that the Ecuadorian footballer , together with his innate athleticism, speed and technical resources needed t o be nurtured in all his dimensions. So, every time we talk about the transformation of Ecuadorian football, we have to make reference to Draskovic who laid the foundation s, which were later supplemented by three Colombian technicians: Hernán "Bun" Gomez (2002 World Cup) Luis Fernando Suarez (2006 World Cup) and, to day, Reinaldo Rueda. Rueda emphasises ability and discipline, on and off the football pitch, a has a group of outstanding players who combine both youth and expe rience - Antonio Valencia (Man Utd) central midfielder Cristhian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow) and left-winger Jefferson Montero - who we reckon will get our the tricolour selecti on to exceed the last 16.
Rudy Ortiz Iriarte Ecuadorian sports commentator
6...MEXICO!
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The famous Mexican football trainer don Nacho Trell es, blackboard in hand, would tell his players: “I won the game on the blackboard, now it is your t urn to win on the ground.” Indeed, the magic is in making triumph in the mind effective on the ground. And this is where Mexico’s secret formula comes in... A game, any game, is nothing else but a ritual sym bolizing ancestral survival activities; and Mexicans are natural survivors both of themselves and foreign armies. The Mexicas , a noble tribe in search of the promised land, not only survived the serpents venom in their inhospitable surroundin gs, but they ate them (hence the national emblem: an eagle devouring a serpent) and, in almost no time, they managed to dominate both the river towns and civilizations little know until then.
And if sport is the reflection of a country, Mexico, with a minor national team has won the most important football epic of recent history: the gold medal in the London Olympic Games of 2012, defeating in the myth ical Wembley stadium the no less mythical national team of Brazil. Our warriors - Javier Hernandez "Chicharito" - Manchester United ( UK)- Manchester United (UK); Giovanio dos Santos - Villareal CF (Sp ain); Guillermo Ochoa - Goal keeper - AC Ajaccio (France) - an unpredictable combination of experience and y outh, roughness and magic and, most of all, holding the secret form ula that will enable them to raise the FIFA World Cup in the Maracaná Stadium.
Marcial Fernández, the author of Un colibrí es el corazón de un dios que levita (2014).
7...PORTUGAL!
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Did anyone mention God yet? Well, Christ is with us too, he’s the one with the Golden Boot, who cuts and shoots relentlessly from an inside-left position, the world’s best counter-attacking player, our football ing Christ on earth. His surname is Ronaldo. Every May the roads to the Catholic shrine of Our L ady of Fátima, in central Portugal, fill with thousands of pilgrims. This year they wer e wearing number 7 shirts. Others were carrying wax figurines of Cristiano Ronaldo wh ich they later placed carefully near the altar. The Portuguese are praying: praying for the health of Ronaldo’s battered left leg; praying that he doesn’t fight wi th his girlfriend, the gorgeous Russian model Irina; praying that he likes his suit e and the pool and the food in Campinas.
Portugal, the world’s third best team according to FIFA rankings, has a handful of decent players in Pepe and Coentrão (half of Real M adrid’s European champion defence) plus João Moutinho and Nani, two players t hat have had a restful season. Like Maradona with Argentina in 1986, an in-form Ro naldo will lead Portugal all the way to the Maracanã’s final of July 13th. I am pray ing, not that the Hand of God is with us; we only need God’s foot.
Paulo Anunciação, London correspondent of Expresso, Portugal’s leading national newspaper
8...SPAIN!
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The host Brazil knows that in Spain it has a major challenger. Following Luis Aragones who managed the historically underperforming Spain to a European Championship in 2008, del Bosque’s La Roja is aiming to defend its World Cup title, after win ning another European championship in 2012. Del Bosque isn’t lacking players to choose from, af ter a season when Spanish clubs have prevailed in Champions’ League football. Hugely experienced and creative Spanish mid-field stars include Iniesta, Silva, Xav i, Mata, Busquets and Cazorla, with attacking options that range from Pedro and Cesc to Negredo, Torres, and- if fit in time - Diego Costa. In defence, the likes of Pique, Juan Fran, Carvajal, Azpilicueta, Ramos and Jordi Alba provide an equally impressive line-up as does the hugely experienced Casillas. With its clubs now ruling Europe, let’s set a new r ecord in football history. Viva la Roja !
Jimmy Burns, author of ‘La Roja’
10.URUGUAY!
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We’ve been doing this for a long time. After two Ol ympian triumphs in 1924 and 1928, we claimed the first World Cup ever in 1930, defeating Argentina in a cut- throat final. We made history twenty years later by beating Brazil in its own Maracana stadium in Rio to claim our second global trophy. That was a long time ago and, since then, selling o ur best players to the highest bidders of the European super leagues, has often dw indled the cohesion of our squad. Ever resilient, the likes of Enzo Francescol i, Diego Forlan, Cavani, and now Godin and Luis Suarez made the comeback that saw us take fourth place in South Africa 2010, win the Copa America a year later and put up a great performance in the Confederations Cup in Brazil last year.
For a country of only three million souls, that is a notable achievement, and we are now set to make history again, even allowing for su ch a tough starting group (Costa Rica, Italy and England). La ‘garra charrua’: the i ndomitable spirit of our first inhabitants will show us the way, as it has done in the past. Our war cry: ‘Vamo arriba la Celeste’ – ‘Go for it sky-blues’ – the co lour of our still unpolluted sky and of the national shirt.
